EC - Trends in E-Commerce [LESSON]

Trends in E-Commerce

Sustainability/Green Consumerism

Emphasis on sustainability and green consumerism has increased significantly. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, e-commerce has grown significantly and so has the impact of e-commerce on our environment. The amount of cardboard used, and the methods of shipping online orders have had a major impact on our landfills, so customers have started demanding that businesses become more environmentally friendly. When you are building a site for an e-commerce business, you must be concerned with this movement and address their concerns. People will buy from businesses that are environmentally conscious, even if they must pay a little more for their products. Website developers should include information for customers about the business and what they do with their packaging and shipping to protect the environment. They may use recyclable materials, and they may use shipping methods that are not as damaging to the environment; if so, the content on the site should include this information. 

Virtual Reality

One of the newest trends in e-commerce is virtual reality. This is a quickly developing area that has a big impact on e-commerce. In the past, some people were wary of purchasing online because they weren't sure of what they were going to get and if it would work. Especially with items such as apparel, glasses, makeup, etc., people were afraid that the product wouldn't be what they wanted. Virtual Reality (VR) allows the customer to virtually "try-it-on" before they buy, which removes the objection many people had.  You can now upload a picture of yourself, or your measurements, and you can see what the item will look like on you! This technology will greatly enhance the experience for customers. Online businesses can also include a virtual location, like trying out athletic items on a mountain. As this technology develops, it will increase the user experience for consumers.

 

Voice Commerce

Voice commerce is allowing customers to order items with their voice using digital assistants, like through their Alexa, Google Home, or a chatbot. Voice commerce is growing rapidly in e-commerce.  

Personalization

As we integrate more of these technological trends, our sites can become more and more personalized to our customers. This will cause website developers to need to develop sites that are not just responsive, but the sites will anticipate what the customer wants or needs and respond to that.  Based on information the computer has about the customer, the site can be tailored to that particular customer. Sites can be personalized to the customers' needs, such as dietary restrictions or integrating with the customer's calendar to schedule shipments.

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